When is the IRS Really the IRS?

Know the Signs of a Scam

Tax season may only consist of a few months but tax scammers work year-round, so it is important to know the tell-tale signs of an IRS scam.

Here are a few tips to spot a scam:

Caller ID is not fact. People can manipulate caller ID to appear to be anywhere including an IRS office. A rule of thumb for receiving calls from the IRS is to hang up and call back ((360) 752-4361).

The IRS does not require a certain mode of payment.

If you are contacted by the IRS they will never ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.

The IRS does not initiate communication via phone calls, voicemails, or emails. You may contact the IRS through these means but it takes special circumstances for the IRS to contact someone through anything besides mail.

For example, one scam victim reported that the scammer left a voicemail claiming that if the recipient didn’t call back there would be a warrant out for their arrest. This is absolutely false. The IRS does not immediately threaten taxpayers with other law enforcement groups.

Reporting

If you ever receive an unsolicited email from someone claiming to be the IRS you can report them by sending the scam-email to [email protected]